MSRV1 virus and MSRV2 pathogen and/or infective agent associated with multiple sclerosis, and biopolymer constituents thereof

ABSTRACT

Composition including two pathogenic and/or infective agents associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent which consists of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of the virus, and a second agent, or a variant of the second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents originating from the same viral strain chosen from the strains designated, respectively, POL-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number V92072202 and MS7PG deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, and from their variant strains.

This is a Division of application Ser. No. 08/384,137 filed Feb. 6, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,896.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) the cause of which remains as yet unknown.

Many studies have supported the hypothesis of a viral etiology of the disease, but none of the known viruses tested has proved to be the causal agent sought: a review of the viruses sought for several years in MS has been compiled by E. Norrby (1) and R. T. Johnson (2).

Concomitantly, the possibility of an exogenous and/or infectious factor is suggested by the existence of localized epidemics or "clusters" of MS, as have been observed in the Faro Islands between 1943 and 1960 (3), in Sardinia (4), in Norway (5), and also by studies on migrant populations (6). Among all the exogenous factors suggested, viruses have been most often studied, and a viral etiology is traditionally called to mind.

The observation in MS of phenomena which can be likened to an autoimmunity reaction has led to an "essential" autoimmune etiological hypothesis (7 and 8). However, this autoimmunity directed against certain components of the CNS has been found not to be specific to MS and common in inflammation of the CNS, whether or not associated with an infection (9, 10, 11 and 12). Furthermore, none of the immunosuppressive therapies has enabled decisive results to be obtained against MS (13). It now seems likely that the "autoimmune" manifestations are induced by a mechanism of viral origin: cosensitization to viral determinants associated with molecules of cellular origin, phenomena of molecular mimicry (14), or by expression of retroviral superantigens (15).

Some studies have supported a hypothesis according to which a retrovirus is at the origin of the disease: the recent discovery (16) of neurological syndromes associated with the HTLV-I virus, originally known as an adult T-cell leukemia agent, has led many authors (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23) to look for an involvement of this human retrovirus in MS, however without success or with results suggesting cross-reactions.

Recently, a retrovirus different from the known human retroviruses has been isolated in patients suffering from MS (24, 25 and 26). The authors were also able to show that this retrovirus could be transmitted in vitro, that patients suffering from MS produced antibodies capable of recognizing proteins associated with the infection of leptomeningeal cells by this retrovirus, and that the expression of the latter could be strongly stimulated by the immediate-early genes of some herpesviruses (27).

All these results point to a role in MS of at least one unknown retrovirus or of a virus having reverse transcriptase activity which is detectable according to the method published by H. Perron (24) and qualified as "LM7-like RT" activity. The content of the publication identified by (24) is incorporated in the present description by reference.

Recently, the Applicant's studies have enabled two continuous cell lines infected with natural isolates originating from two different patients suffering from MS to be obtained by a culture method as described in the document WO-A-9320188, the content of which is incorporated in the present description by reference. These two lines, derived from human choroid plexus cells, designated LM7PC and PLI-2, were deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 and Jan. 8, 1993, respectively, under numbers 92072201 and 93010817, in accordance with the provisions of the Budapest Treaty. Moreover, the viral isolates possessing LM7-like RT activity were also deposited with the ECACC under the overall designation of "strains". The "strain" or isolate harbored by the PLI-2 line, designated POL-2, was deposited on Jul. 22, 1992 under No. V92072202. The "strain" or isolate harbored by the LM7PC line, designated MS7PG, was deposited on Jan. 8, 1993 under No. V93010816.

Starting from the cultures and isolates mentioned above, characterized by biological and morphological criteria, the next step was to endeavour to characterize the nucleic acid material associated with the viral particles produced in these cultures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the subjects of the invention are the following:

(i) as biological material, the composition comprising two pathogenic and/or infective agents, in the isolated or purified state, associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent which consists of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of said virus, and a second agent, or a variant of said second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents originating from the same viral strain chosen from the strains designated, respectively, POL-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22 1992 under Accession Number V92072202 and MS7PG deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, and from their variant strains,

(ii) as biological material, the composition comprising two pathogenic and/or infective agents, in the isolated or purified state, associated with multiple sclerosis, namely a first agent consisting of a human virus possessing reverse transcriptase activity and related to a family of endogenous retroviral elements, or a variant of said virus, and a second agent, or a variant of said second agent, these two pathogenic and/or infective agents being produced by the same cell line chosen from the lines designated, respectively, PLI-2 deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number 92072201 and LM7PC deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number 93010817, and by all infected cell cultures capable of producing at least one or other of the pathogenic and/or infective agents, and/or their variants,

(iii) the composition comprising two pathogenic and/or infective agents, in the isolated or purified state, namely a first agent consisting of a virus, or a variant of said virus, whose genome comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences, and a second pathogenic and/or infective agent whose genome comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11 and SEQ ID NO12, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 90% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, and SEQ ID NO12, and their complementary sequences,

(iv) a method for detecting a first pathogenic and/or infective agent and/or a second pathogenic and/or infective agent associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that at least one nucleic acid fragment is employed, namely a first fragment whose nucleotide sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences, and/or a second fragment whose nucleotide sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 90% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12 and their complementary sequences, each of said fragments being, in particular, a probe,

(v) a diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic composition, characterized in that it comprises at least one nucleic acid fragment, namely a first nucleic acid fragment whose nucleotide sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9, their complementary sequences and the equivalent sequences, in particular a nucleotide sequence displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences, and/or a second nucleic acid fragment whose nucleotide sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12, their complementary sequences and the equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 90% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12 and their complementary sequences,

(vi) a method for detecting and/or identifying a combination of pathological and/or infective agents associated with multiple sclerosis, in a biological sample, characterized in that an RNA and/or a DNA presumed to belong to at least one said pathological and/or infective agent, and/or their complementary RNA and/or DNA, is/are brought into contact with a composition comprising a first nucleotide fragment and a second nucleotide fragment, the nucleotide sequence of said first fragment comprising a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences, and the nucleotide sequence of said second fragment comprising a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 90% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12 and their complementary sequences,

(vii) a method for detecting, in a biological sample, a first pathological and/or infective agent and/or a second pathological and/or infective agent associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that a composition comprising a first polypeptide partially or completely encoded by the first nucleotide fragment defined in (vi), and/or a second polypeptide partially or completely encoded by the second nucleotide fragment also defined in (vi), is employed,

(viii) a diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic composition, characterized in that it comprises the first polypeptide and/or the second polypeptide which are defined in (vii) above, or in that it comprises a first ligand, in particular antibody, specific for said first polypeptide, and/or a second ligand, in particular antibody, specific for said second polypeptide,

(ix) a cell line designated PLI-2 as deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number 92072201, or any derived cell line, or any progeny of this line, insofar as these lines and progeny are capable of producing an antibody obtained from said PLI-2 line, or any other antibody displaying an immunological cross-reaction with said antibody,

(x) a viral strain designated POL-2 as deposited with the ECACC on Jul. 22, 1992 under Accession Number V92072202, or any derived strain, or any progeny of this strain, insofar as these strains and progeny are capable of producing an antigen obtained from said POL-2 strain, or any other antigen displaying an immunological cross-reaction with said antigen,

(xi) a cell line designated LM7PC as deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number 93010817, or any derived cell line, or any progeny of this line, insofar as these lines and progeny are capable of producing an antibody obtained from said LM7PC line, or any other antibody displaying an immunological cross-reaction with said antibody,

(xii) a viral strain designated MS7PG as deposited with the ECACC on Jan. 8, 1993 under Accession Number V93010816, or any derived strain, or any progeny of this strain, insofar as these strains and progeny are capable of producing an antigen obtained from said MS7PG strain, or any other antigen displaying an immunological cross-reaction with said antigen,

(xiii) as biological material, and in the purified or isolated state, a viral material possessing reverse transcriptase activity, associated with a family of endogenous retroviral elements and associated with multiple sclerosis, originating from a viral strain possessing reverse transcriptase activity, chosen from either of the abovementioned strains POL-2 and MS7PG, and the variant strains consisting of viruses comprising at least one antigen which is recognized by at least one antibody directed against at least one corresponding antigen of one or other of the viruses of said viral strains,

(xiv) as biological material, and in the purified or isolated state, a viral material possessing reverse transcriptase activity, associated with a family of endogenous retroviral elements, associated with multiple sclerosis, produced by either of the cell lines PLI-2 and LM7PC, or by any infected cell culture capable of producing a virus comprising at least one antigen which is recognized by at least one antibody directed against at least one corresponding antigen of one or other of the viruses produced by said PLI-2 and LM7PC lines,

(xv) a viral material, characterized in that its genome comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences,

(xvi) a retroviral material associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that the pol gene of its genome comprises an equivalent nucleotide sequence, and in particular one displaying at least 50% homology, preferably at least 65%, with a nucleotide sequence belonging to the pol gene of the ERV-9 or HSERV-9 retrovirus genome,

(xvii) a retroviral material associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that the pol gene of its genome codes for a peptide sequence displaying at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a peptide sequence encoded by the pol gene of the ERV-9 or HSERV-9 retrovirus genome,

(xviii) a retroviral material associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that the pol gene of its genome codes for a peptide sequence displaying, for any contiguous succession of at least 30 amino acids, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a peptide sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences,

(xix) a nucleotide fragment whose nucleotide sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 50% and preferably at least 70% homology with a sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO8, SEQ ID NO9 and their complementary sequences,

(xx) a specific primer for the amplification by polymerization of an RNA or DNA of a viral material described above, characterized in that it comprises a nucleotide sequence identical or equivalent to at least part of the nucleotide sequence of a fragment described in (xix), in particular a nucleotide sequence displaying, for any succession of 10 contiguous monomers, at least 70% homology with at least part of said fragment; a preferential primer of the invention comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO16, SEQ ID NO17, SEQ ID NO18, SEQ ID NO19, SEQ ID NO20, SEQ ID NO21, SEQ ID NO22, SEQ ID NO23, SEQ ID NO24, SEQ ID NO25, SEQ ID NO26, SEQ ID NO31, SEQ ID NO32, SEQ ID NO33 and their complementary sequences,

(xxi) a probe capable of specifically hybridizing with an RNA or DNA of a viral material described above, characterized in that it comprises a nucleotide sequence identical or equivalent to at least part of the nucleotide sequence of a fragment described in (xix), in particular a nucleotide sequence displaying, for any succession of 10 contiguous monomers, at least 70% homology with at least part of said fragment; a preferential probe according to the invention comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5, SEQ ID NO6, SEQ ID NO7, SEQ ID NO16, SEQ ID NO17, SEQ ID NO18, SEQ ID NO19, SEQ ID NO20, SEQ ID NO21, SEQ ID NO22, SEQ ID NO23, SEQ ID NO24, SEQ ID NO25, SEQ ID NO26, SEQ ID NO31, SEQ ID NO32, SEQ ID NO33, and their complementary sequences,

(xxii) the use of a probe described in (xxi) or primer described in (xx) for detecting, separating or identifying, in a biological sample, a viral material defined above,

(xxiii) a method for detecting, separating or identifying, in a biological sample, the viral material defined above, characterized in that an RNA and/or a DNA presumed to belong to said virus, and/or their complimentary DNA and/or RNA, is/are brought into contact with at least one probe described in (xxi); according to an advantageous embodiment, before the RNA and/or DNA or their complementary DNA and/or RNA is/are brought into contact with the probe, said RNA and/or said DNA is/are hybridized with at least one amplification primer described in (xx), and said RNA and/or DNA is/are amplified,

(xxiv) a method for quantifying, in a biological sample, the expression of a viral material, defined above, associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that an RNA and/or a DNA specific to said virus, and/or their complementary DNA and/or RNA, is/are brought into contact with at least one probe described in (xxi), amplification is carried out where appropriate and said RNA and/or DNA is/are detected,

(xxv) as biological material, and in the isolated or purified state, a pathogenic and/or infective agent different from the viral material according to (xiii), or (xiv) or (xv) or (xvi) or (xvii) or (xix) , associated with multiple sclerosis, originating from either of the abovementioned viral strains POL-2 and MS7PG, and the variant strains consisting of pathogenic and/or infective agents comprising at least one antigen which is recognized by at least one antibody directed against at least one corresponding antigen of one or other of the pathogenic and/or infective agents of said viral strains, the agents being different, respectively, from either viral material of said strains,

(xxvi) as biological material, and in the isolated or purified state, a pathogenic and/or infective agent different from the viral material according to (xiii), or (xiv) or (xv) or (xvi) or (xvii) or (xix), associated with multiple sclerosis, produced by either of the abovementioned cell lines PLI-2 and LM7PC, and all infected cell cultures capable of producing a pathogenic and/or infective agent comprising at least one antigen which is recognized by at least one antibody directed against at least one corresponding antigen of one or other of the pathogenic and/or infective agents produced by said PLI-2 and LM7PC lines, the agents being, respectively, different from either viral material of said strains,

(xxvii) a pathogenic and/or infective agent, characterized in that it comprises a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying at least 70% and preferably at least 90% homology with a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12 and their complementary sequences,

(xxviii) a nucleotide fragment, characterized in that it comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12, their complementary sequences and their equivalent sequences, in particular the nucleotide sequences displaying, for any succession of 100 contiguous monomers, at least 70% and preferably at least 90% homology with a sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO12 and their complementary sequences,

(xxix) a specific primer for the amplification by polymerization of an RNA or DNA of a pathogenic and/or infective agent defined in (xxv), or (xxvi) or (xxvii), characterized in that it comprises a nucleotide sequence identical or equivalent to at least part of the nucleotide sequence of a fragment described in (xxviii), in particular a nucleotide sequence displaying, for any succession of 10 contiguous monomers, at least 90% homology with at least part of said fragment; a preferential primer according to the invention comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO13, SEQ ID NO14, SEQ ID NO15, SEQ ID NO27, SEQ ID NO28, SEQ ID NO29, SEQ ID NO30, SEQ ID NO34, SEQ ID NO35, SEQ ID NO36, SEQ ID NO37 and their complementary sequences,

(xxx) a probe capable of specifically hybridizing with an RNA or DNA of a pathogenic and/or infective agent defined in (xxv), or (xxvi) or (xxvii), characterized in that it comprises a nucleotide sequence identical or equivalent to at least part of the nucleotide sequence of a fragment described in (xxviii), in particular a nucleotide sequence displaying, for any succession of 10 contiguous monomers, at least 90% homology with at least part of said fragment; a preferential probe according to the invention comprises a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO10, SEQ ID NO11, SEQ ID NO13, SEQ ID NO14, SEQ ID NO15, SEQ ID NO27, SEQ ID NO28, SEQ ID NO29, SEQ ID NO30, SEQ ID NO34, SEQ ID NO35, SEQ ID NO36, SEQ ID NO37 and their complementary sequences,

(xxxi) the use of a probe described in (xxx) and/or a primer described in (xxix) for detecting and/or identifying, in a biological sample, a pathological and/or infective agent defined in (xxv) , or (xxvi) or (xxvii),

(xxxii) a method for detecting, separating or identifying, in a biological sample, the pathogenic and/or infective agent defined in (xxv) , or (xxvi) or (xxvii), characterized in that an RNA and/or a DNA presumed to belong to said agent, and/or their complementary DNA and/or RNA, is/are brought into contact with at least one probe described in (xxx) ; according to an advantageous embodiment, before the RNA and/or DNA or their complementary DNA and/or RNA is/are brought into contact with the probe, said RNA and/or said DNA is/are hybridized with at least one amplification primer described in (xxxi), and said RNA and/or DNA is/are amplified,

(xxxiii) a method for quantifying in a biological sample, the expression of an infective and/or pathogenic agent, defined in (xxv), or (xxvi) or (xxvii), associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that an RNA and/or a DNA specific to said agent, and/or their complementary DNA and/or RNA, is/are brought into contact with at least one probe described in (xxx), and said RNA and/or DNA is/are amplified,

(xxxiv) a diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic composition, in particular for inhibiting the expression of at least one pathogenic and/or infective agent associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that it comprises at least one probe described in (xxi) or one probe described in (xxx), and/or at least one primer described in (xx) or one primer described in (xxix),

(xxxv) an RNA or DNA, and in particular replication vector, comprising a fragment described in (xix) or fragment described in (xxviii),

(xxxvi) a polypeptide having at least 5 and preferably 10 amino acids, encoded by any nucleotide sequence of the genome of a virus associated with multiple sclerosis, characterized in that it is encoded by at least part of a nucleotide fragment described in (xix) or a fragment described in (xxviii),

(xxxvii) a diagnostic and/or therapeutic and/or prophylactic composition, characterized in that it comprises at least one polypeptide defined in (xxxvi) , or in that it comprises a ligand, in particular antibody, specific for at least one said polypeptide.

DEFINITIONS

Before describing the invention in detail, different terms used in the description and the claims are now defined:

strain or isolate is understood to mean any infective and/or pathogenic biological fraction containing, for example, viruses and/or bacteria and/or parasites and generating pathogenic and/or antigenic activity, harbored by a culture or a living host; as an example, a viral strain according to the above definition can contain a coinfective agent, for example a pathogenic protist,

the term "MSRV" used in the present description denotes any pathogenic and/or infective agent associated with multiple sclerosis, in particular a viral species, the attenuated strains of said viral species or the defective-interfering particles derived from this species. Viruses, and especially viruses containing RNA, are known to have a variability resulting, in particular, from relatively high rates of spontaneous mutation (28), which will be borne in mind below for defining the notion of equivalence,

human viruses are understood to mean a virus capable of infecting human beings,

in view of all the natural or induced variations which may be encountered when implementing the present invention, the subjects of the latter, defined above and in the claims, have been expressed including the equivalents or derivatives of the different biological materials defined below, in particular of the homologous nucleotide or peptide sequences,

the variant of a virus or of a pathogenic and/or infective agent according to the invention comprises at least one antigen recognized by at least one antibody directed against at least one corresponding antigen of said virus and/or said pathogenic and/or infective agent, and/or a genome any part of which is detected by at least one hybridization probe and/or at least one nucleotide amplification primer specific for said virus and/or pathogenic and/or infective agent, such as, for example, the primers having a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NO13 through SEQ ID NO38, and their complementary sequences, under particular hybridization conditions well known to a person skilled in the art,

according to the invention, a nucleotide fragment or an oligonucleotide or polynucleotide is an arrangement of monomers, or a biopolymer, characterized by the informational sequence of the natural nucleic acids, which are capable of hybridizing with any other nucleotide fragment under predetermined conditions, it being possible for the arrangement to contain monomers of different chemical structures and to be obtained from a molecule of natural nucleic acid and/or by genetic recombination and/or by chemical synthesis,

thus, a monomer can be a natural nucleotide of nucleic acid whose constituent elements are a sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base; in RNA the sugar is ribose, in DNA the sugar is 2-deoxyribose; depending on whether the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA, the nitrogenous base is chosen from adenine, guanine, uracil, cytosine and thymine; or the nucleotide can be modified in at least one of the three constituent elements; as an example, the modification can occur in the bases, generating modified bases such as inosine, 5-methyldeoxy-cytidine, deoxyuridine, 5-(dimethylamino)deoxyuridine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 5-bromodeoxyuridine and any other modified base promoting hybridization; in the sugar, the modification can consist of the replacement of at least one deoxyribose by a polyamide (29), and in the phosphate group, the modification can consist of its replacement by esters chosen, in particular, from diphosphate, alkyl- and arylphosphonate and phosphorothioate esters,

"informational sequence" is understood to mean any ordered succession of monomers whose chemical nature and order in a reference direction constitute or otherwise an item of functional information of the same quality as that of the natural nucleic acids,

hybridization is understood to mean the process during which, under suitable working conditions, two nucleotide fragments having sequence pairs sufficiently complementary to form a complex structure, in particular double or triple, preferably in the form of a helix,

a probe comprises a nucleotide fragment synthesized chemically or obtained by digestion or enzymatic cleavage of a longer nucleotide fragment, comprising at least six monomers, advantageously from 10 to 100 monomers and preferably 10 to 30 monomers, and possessing a specificity of hybridization under particular conditions; preferably, a probe possessing fewer than 10 monomers is not used alone, but used in the presence of other probes of equally short size or otherwise; under certain special conditions, it may be useful to use probes of size greater than 100 monomers; a probe may be used, in particular, for diagnostic purposes, such molecules being, for example, capture and/or detection probes,

the capture probe may be immobilized on a solid support by any suitable means, that is to say directly or indirectly, for example by covalent bonding or passive adsorption,

the detection probe may be labeled by means of a label chosen, in particular, from radioactive isotopes, enzymes chosen, in particular, from peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase and those capable of hydrolyzing a chromogenic, fluorogenic or luminescent substrate, chromophoric chemical compounds, chromogenic, fluorogenic or luminescent compounds, nucleotide base analogs and biotin,

the probes used for diagnostic purposes of the invention may be employed in all known hybridization techniques, and in particular the techniques termed "DOT-BLOT" (30), "SOUTHERN BLOT" (31), "NORTHERN BLOT", which is a technique identical to the "SOUTHERN BLOT" technique but which uses RNA as target, and the SANDWICH technique (32); advantageously, the SANDWICH technique is used in the present invention, comprising a specific capture probe and/or a specific detection probe, on the understanding that the capture probe and the detection probe must possess an at least partially different nucleotide sequence,

the invention also covers a probe capable of hybridizing in vivo or in vitro with RNA and/or with DNA in order to block the phenomena of replication, in particular translation and/or transcription, and/or to degrade said DNA and/or RNA,

a primer is a probe comprising at least six monomers, and advantageously from 10 to 30 monomers, possessing a specificity of hybridization under particular conditions for the initiation of an enzymatic polymerization, for example in an amplification technique such as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), in an elongation process such as sequencing, in a method of reverse transcription or the like,

two nucleotide or peptide sequences are termed equivalent or derived with respect to one another, or with respect to a reference sequence, if functionally the corresponding biopolymers can perform substantially the same role, without being identical, as regards the application or use in question, or in the technique in which they participate; two sequences are, in particular, equivalent if they are obtained as a result of natural variability, in particular spontaneous mutation of the species from which they have been identified, or induced variability, as are homologous sequences, homology being defined below,

variability is understood to mean any spontaneous or induced modification of a sequence, in particular by substitution and/or insertion and/or deletion of nucleotides and/or of nucleotide fragments, and/or extension and/or shortening of the sequence at one or both ends; an unnatural variability can result from the genetic engineering techniques used, for example the choice of synthesis primers, degenerate or otherwise, selected for amplifying a nucleic acid; this variability can manifest itself in modifications of any starting sequence, considered as reference, and capable of being expressed by a degree of homology relative to said reference sequence,

homology characterizes the degree of identity of two nucleotide or peptide fragments compared; it is measured by the percentage identity which is determined, in particular, by direct comparison of nucleotide or peptide sequences, relative to reference nucleotide or peptide sequences,

this percentage identity has been specifically determined for the nucleotide fragments dealt with in the present invention which are homologous with the fragments identified by SEQ ID NO1 through NO9 (MSRV-1) on the one hand, and those which are homologous with the fragments identified by SEQ ID NO10 through NO12 (MSRV-2) on the other hand, as well as for the probes and primers homologous with the probes and primers identified by SEQ ID NO16 through NO26 and SEQ ID NO31 through NO33 on the one hand, and with the probes and primers identified by SEQ ID NO13 through NO15, SEQ ID NO27 through SEQ ID NO30 and SEQ ID NO34 through NO37 on the other hand; as an example, the smallest percentage identity observed between the different general consensus sequences of nucleic acids obtained from fragments of MSRV-1 viral RNA, originating from the LM7PC and PLI-2 lines according to a protocol detailed later, is 67% in the region described in FIG. 2,

any nucleotide fragment is termed equivalent to or derived from a reference fragment if it possesses a nucleotide sequence equivalent to the reference sequence; according to the above definition, the following in particular are equivalent to a reference nucleotide fragment:

a) any fragment capable of hybridizing at least partially with the complement of the reference fragment

b) any fragment whose alignment with the reference fragment results in the demonstration of a larger number of identical contiguous bases than with any other fragment originating from another taxonomic group

c) any fragment resulting, or capable of resulting, from the natural variability of the species from which it is obtained

d) any fragment capable of resulting from the genetic engineering techniques applied to the reference fragment

e) any fragment containing at least eight contiguous nucleotides encoding a peptide which is homologous with or identical to the peptide encoded by the reference fragment,

f) any fragment which is different from the reference fragment by insertion, deletion or substitution of at least one monomer, or extension or shortening at one or both of its ends; for example, any fragment corresponding to the reference fragment flanked at one or both of its ends by a nucleotide sequence not coding for a polypeptide,

polypeptide is understood to mean, in particular, any peptide of at least two amino acids, in particular an oligopeptide or protein, extracted, separated or substantially isolated or synthesized through human intervention, in particular those obtained by chemical synthesis or by expression in a recombinant organism,

polypeptide partially encoded by a nucleotide fragment is understood to mean a polypeptide possessing at least 3 amino acids encoded by at least 9 contiguous monomers included in said nucleotide fragment,

an amino acid is termed analogous to another amino acid when their respective physicochemical properties, such as polarity, hydrophobicity and/or basicity and/or acidity and/or neutrality are substantially the same; thus, a leucine is analogous to an isoleucine.

any polypeptide is termed equivalent to or derived from a reference polypeptide if the polypeptides compared have substantially the same properties, and in particular the same antigenic, immunological, enzymological and/or molecular recognition properties; the following in particular are equivalent to a reference polypeptide:

a) any polypeptide possessing a sequence in which at least one amino acid has been replaced by an analogous amino acid,

b) any polypeptide having an equivalent peptide sequence, obtained by natural or induced variation of said reference polypeptide and/or of the nucleotide fragment coding for said polypeptide,

c) a mimotope of said reference polypeptide,

d) any polypeptide in whose sequence one or more amino acids of the L series are replaced by an amino acid of the D series, and vice versa,

e) any polypeptide into whose sequence a modification of the side chains of the amino acids has been introduced, such as, for example, an acetylation of the amine functions, a carboxylation of the thiol functions, an esterification of the carboxyl functions,

f) any polypeptide in whose sequence one or more peptide bonds have been modified, such as, for example, carba, retro, inverso, retro-inverso, reduced and methylenoxy bonds.

(g) any polypeptide at least one antigen of which is recognized by an antibody of the reference polypeptide,

the percentage identity characterizing the homology of two peptide fragments compared is, according to the present invention, at least 50% and preferably at least 70%.

In view of the fact that a virus possessing reverse transcriptase enzymatic activity may be genetically characterized equally well in RNA and in DNA form, both the viral DNA and RNA will be referred to for characterizing the sequences relating to a virus possessing such reverse transcriptase activity (MSRV-1).

In view of the fact that the pathogenic and/or infective agent (MSRV-2) has been detected both in DNA and in RNA in infected cells, it may also be characterized in DNA or RNA form.

The expressions of order used in the present description and the claims, such as "first nucleotide sequence", are not adopted so as to express a particular order, but so as to define the invention more clearly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the invention will be gained on reading the detailed description which follows, prepared with reference to the attached figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the MSRV-2A type sequence obtained from LM7 cultures according to the protocol of Shih (33); this sequence is identified under the reference SEQ ID NO10,

FIG. 2 shows general consensus sequences of nucleic acids of the MSRV-1B sequences amplified by the PCR technique in the "pol" region, from viral DNA originating from the LM7PC and PLI-2 lines, identified under the references SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5 and SEQ ID NO6, and the common consensus with amplification primers bearing the reference SEQ ID NO7,

FIG. 3 (comprising FIGS. 3A and 3B) shows the phylogenetic tree of the MSRV-1B type sequences obtained by PCR in the "pol" region defined by Shih (33),

FIG. 4 gives the definition of a functional reading frame for each MSRV-1B/"PCR pol" type family, said families A through D being defined, respectively, by the nucleotide sequences SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5 and SEQ ID NO6 described in FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 gives an example of consensus of the MSRV-2B sequences, identified by SEQ ID NO11,

FIG. 6 is a representation of the reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in dpm (disintegrations per minute) in the sucrose fractions taken from a purification gradient of the virions produced by the B lymphocytes in culture from a patient suffering from MS,

FIG. 7 gives, under the same conditions as in FIG. 6, the assay of the reverse transcriptase activity in the culture of a B lymphocyte line obtained from a control free from multiple sclerosis,

FIG. 8 shows the nucleotide sequence of the clone PSJ17 (SEQ ID NO9)

FIG. 9 shows the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO8 of the clone designated M003-P004,

FIG. 10 shows the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO2 of the clone F11-1; the portion located between two arrows in the region of the primer corresponds to a variability imposed by the choice of primer which was used for the cloning of F11-1; in this same figure, the translation into amino acids is shown,

FIG. 11 (comprising FIGS. 11A and 11B) shows the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO1, and a possible functional reading frame of SEQ ID NO1 in terms of amino acids; on this sequence, the consensus sequences of the retroviral reverse transcriptases are underlined,

FIG. 12 shows the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO12 of the clone designated MSRV2EL1,

FIG. 13 (comprising FIGS. 13A-13D) , separated into three successive plates 13/18 to 15/18, shows the translation into amino acids of SEQ ID NO12, including the primer SEQ ID NO13, according to 6 possible reading frames,

FIG. 14 presents an alignment of the MSRV2-A sequence (SEQ ID NO10) with the MSRV2-EL1 sequence (SEQ ID NO12); in this same diagram, the hybridization region of the primer identified under the reference SEQ ID NO13 (apart from the cloning tail) is boxed; that of the primer identified under the reference SEQ ID NO14 is indicated between square brackets,

FIG. 15 gives the results of a PCR, in the form of a photograph under ultraviolet light of an ethidium bromide-impregnated agarose gel, of the amplification products obtained from the primers identified by SEQ ID NO14 and SEQ ID NO15,

FIG. 16 gives the results of a PCR, in the form of a photograph under ultraviolet light of an ethidium bromide-impregnated agarose gel, of the amplification products obtained from the primers identified by SEQ ID NO16, SEQ ID NO17, SEQ ID NO18 and SEQ ID NO19. The photograph shows the result of specific MSRV-2 amplification.

FIG. 17 also gives the results of a PCR, in the form of a photograph under ultraviolet light of an ethidium bromide-impregnated agarose gel, of the amplification products obtained from the primers identified by SEQ ID NO16, SEQ ID NO17, SEQ ID NO18, and SEQ ID NO19. The photograph shows the results of specific amplification by MSRV-1 "nested" RT-PCR.

FIG. 18 gives a representation in matrix form of the homology between SEQ ID NO1 of MSRV-1 and that of an endogenous retrovirus designated HSERV9; this homology of at least 65% is demonstrated by a continuous line, the absence of a line meaning a homology of less than 65%.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLE 1 OBTAINING MSRV-2 CLONES DESIGNATED MSRV-2A, BY AMPLIFICATION OF THE CONSERVED REGIONS OF THE GENES FOR RNA-DEPENDENT DNA POLYMERASES ON A PREPARATION OF INFECTIVE AGENT PURIFIED FROM LM7 LINE CELL CULTURE

The molecular approach consisted in using a PCR technique (33) which makes it possible to amplify a relatively conserved region of the pol gene of exogenous and endogenous retroviruses, but also of viruses coding for an enzyme having reverse transcriptase (RT) activity, such as, in particular, the hepatitis B virus, and, implicitly, of any gene for RNA-dependent DNA polymerase or for an enzyme, displaying sufficient sequence homologies in the regions defined by the amplification primers used. This PCR technique was used on the nucleic acids extracted from a purified preparation of infective agent, obtained according to the protocol (34) from supernatants of the original LM7 culture (24) which were kept frozen at -80° C. since that time. The fractions containing the peak of LM7-like RT activity are taken up in one volume of a buffer containing guanidine thiocyanate (35), and are stored at -80° C. until the nucleic acids are extracted according to the technique described by P.Chomzynski (35).

Prior to the PCR reaction, the RNA of the sample was transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA) with so-called "random" primers (mixed hexanucleotides) using the "cDNA synthesis system plus" kit (Amersham) according to the manufacturer's instructions, and on the basis of an approximate value, to the nearest log factor, of the amount of RNA present in the sample.

The DNA obtained after PCR amplification of the cDNA was inserted into a plasmid using the TA Cloning® kit (British Biotechnology). The 2 μl of DNA solution were mixed with 5 μl of sterile distilled water, 1 μl of a 10-fold concentrated ligation buffer "10×LIGATION BUFFER", 2 μl of "pCR™ VECTOR" (25 ng/ml) and 1 μl of "TA DNA LIGASE". This mixture was incubated overnight at 12° C. The following steps were carried out in accordance with the instructions of the TA Cloning® kit. At the end of the procedure, the white colonies of recombinant bacteria were picked out in order to be cultured and to permit extraction of the plasmids incorporated according to the so-called "miniprep" procedure (36). The plasmid preparation from each recombinant colony was cut with a suitable restriction enzyme and analyzed on agarose gel. Plasmids possessing an insert detected under UV light after staining the gel with ethidium bromide were selected for sequencing of the insert, after hybridization with a primer complementary to the Sp6 promoter present on the cloning plasmid of the "TA cloning kit". The reaction prior to sequencing was then performed according to the method recommended for the use of the sequencing kit "Prism ready reaction kit dye deoxyterminator cycle sequencing kit" (Applied Biosystems, ref. 401384), and automatic sequencing was carried out with an Applied Biosystems model 373 A "Automatic Sequencer" apparatus according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The sequences obtained were then analyzed using the Mac Vector® and Geneworks® software on Genebank® computerized data bank for the nucleic acid sequences, and Swiss Prot® for the amino acid sequences deduced from the reading frames revealed in the nucleic acid sequences. Analysis of the sequences obtained from the viral sample originating from the thawed LM7 supernatants, and which was purified at the peak of reverse transcriptase activity on a sucrose gradient, revealed a majority population of clones (approximately 42% of the clones) , relative to the extent of individual representation of the other sequences (always less than 5%, or 10% in a small number of cases), displaying partial homologies with known retroviruses in the expected "pol" region. This clone is designated MSRV2-A and identified by SEQ ID NO10 (see FIG. 1). The region amplified between the PCR primers is homologous with the corresponding sequence MSRV2-B identified by SEQ ID NO11 (see FIG. 5), described in Example 2. The differences observed in the sequences located at the PCR primers is explained by the use of degenerate primers in mixture form, used under different technical conditions. Interrogation of the Genebank® data bank, fully updated, did not enable an identical sequence or one displaying significant homologies to be revealed.

This sequence is presented in FIG. 1. It possesses an open reading frame in frame with the two PCR primers to be found at the ends, but it is shorter than the set of known retroviral sequences in the expected region between these primers. A deletion of 45 base pairs (15 amino acids) is observed therein following the sequence of the upstream primer, whereas the sequences preceding the downstream primer are present. However, the reading frame is open and uninterrupted over the whole of the sequence including the primers, and the deduced amino acid sequence displays a significant homology with the corresponding region of the known retroviruses. In the sequence lying inside the PCR primers, the amino acids Glu, Arg, Gln, Pro and Asp, normally fairly well conserved in this pol region of retroviruses and of known viruses with reverse transcriptase activity (33), are to be found conserved at the correct positions in the reading frame of the novel sequence.

Lastly, in view of the fact that this sequence is sufficiently divergent from the retroviral sequences already described in the data banks, it may be suggested that the sequence in question belongs to a new infective and/or pathogenic agent, designated MSRV-2A. This agent is, in principle, on the basis of the analysis of the sequences obtained, related to a retrovirus but, in view of the technique used for obtaining this sequence, it may also be an RNA virus whose genome codes for an enzyme which incidentally possesses reverse transcriptase activity, as is the case, for example, with the hepatitis B virus, HBV (33). Furthermore, the random nature of the degenerate primers used for this PCR amplification technique may very well have permitted, as a result of unforeseen sequence homologies or of conserved sites in the gene for a related enzyme, the amplification of a nucleic acid originating from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic pathogenic and/or coinfective agent (protist).

EXAMPLE 2 OBTAINING CLONES DESIGNATED MSRV-1B AND MSRV-2B, DEFINING, RESPECTIVELY, A RETROVIRUS MSRV-1 AND A COINFECTIVE AGENT MSRV2, BY "NESTED" PCR AMPLIFICATION OF THE CONSERVED POL REGIONS OF RETROVIRUSES ON VIRION PREPARATIONS ORIGINATING FROM THE LM7PC AND PLI-2 LINES

A PCR technique derived from the technique published by Shih (33) was used. This technique enables all trace of contaminant DNA to be removed by treating all the components of the reaction medium with DNase. It concomitantly makes it possible, by the use of different but overlapping primers in two successive series of PCR amplification cycles, to increase the chances of amplifying a cDNA synthesized from an amount of RNA which is small at the outset and further reduced in the sample by the spurious action of the DNAse on the RNA. In effect, the DNase is used under conditions of activity in excess which enable all trace of contaminant DNA to be removed before inactivation of this enzyme remaining in the sample by heating to 85° C. for 10 minutes. This variant of the PCR technique described by Shih (33) was used on a cDNa synthesized from the nucleic acids of fractions of infective particles purified on a sucrose gradient according to the technique described by H. Perron (34) from the "POL-2" isolate (ECACC No. V92072202) produced by the PLI-2 line (ECACC No. 92072201) on the one hand, and from the MS7PG isolate (ECACC No. V93010816) produced by the LM7PC line (ECACC No. 93010817) on the other hand. These cultures were obtained according to the methods which formed the subject of the patent applications published under Nos WO 93/20188 and WO 93/20189.

After cloning the products amplified by this technique with the TA Cloning Kit® and analysis of the sequence using the automatic sequencer as has been described in Example 1, the sequences were analyzed using the Geneworks® software on the latest available version of the Genebank® data bank.

The sequences cloned and sequenced from these samples correspond, in particular, to two types of sequence: a first type of sequence, to be found in the majority of the clones (55% of the clones originating from the POL-2 isolates of the PLI-2 culture, and 67% of the clones originating from the MS7PG isolates of the LM7PC cultures), which corresponds to a family of "pol" sequences closely similar to, but different from, the endogenous human retrovirus designated ERV-9 or HSERV-9, and a second type of sequence which corresponds to sequences very strongly homologous with the sequence attributed to an infective and/or pathogenic agent previously designated MSRV-2.

The first type of sequence, representing the majority of the clones, consists of sequences whose variability enables four subfamilies of sequences to be defined. These subfamilies are sufficiently similar to one another for it to be possible to consider them to be quasi-species originating from the same retrovirus, as is well known for the HIV-1 retrovirus (37), or to be the outcome of interference with several endogenous pro-viruses coregulated in the producing cells. These more or less defective endogenous elements are sensitive to the same regulatory signals possibly generated by a replicative provirus, since they belong to the same family of endogenous retroviruses (38). This new family of endogenous retroviruses, or alternatively this new retroviral species from which the generation of quasi-species has been obtained in culture, and which contains a consensus of the sequences described below, is designated MSRV-1B.

FIG. 2 presents the general consensus sequences of the sequences of the different MSRV-1B clones sequenced in this experiment, these sequences being identified, respectively, by SEQ ID NO3, SEQ ID NO4, SEQ ID NO5 and SEQ ID NO6. These sequences display a homology with respect to nucleic acids ranging from 70% to 88% with the HSERV9 sequence referenced X57147 and M37638 in the Genebank® data base. The phylogenetic tree of these sequences is presented in FIG. 3. In this figure, the subfamilies A, B, C and D represent the sequences which have turned up preponderantly in similar experiments repeated subsequently, in the samples of pure RNA of virions purified from the MS7PG and POL-2 isolates. From these families of sequences, four "consensus" nucleic acid sequences representative of different quasi-species of a possibly exogenous retrovirus MSRV-1B, or of different subfamilies of an endogenous retrovirus MSRV-1B, have been defined. These representative consensus sequences are presented in FIG. 4, with the translation into amino acids. A functional reading frame exists for each subfamily of these MSRV-1B sequences, and it can be seen that the functional open reading frame corresponds in each instance to the amino acid sequence appearing on the second line under the nucleic acid sequence. The general consensus of the MSRV-1B sequence, identified by SEQ ID NO7 and obtained by this PCR technique in the "pol" region, is presented in FIG. 2.

The second type of sequence representing the majority of the clones sequenced is represented by the sequence MSRV-2B presented in FIG. 5 and identified by SEQ ID NO11. The region amplified between the PCR primers is homologous, apart from a single base, with the MSRV2-A sequence (SEQ ID NO10 according to FIG. 1) lying inside the PCR primers, described in Example 1. The differences observed in the sequences corresponding to the PCR primers are explained by the use of degenerate primers in mixture form used under different technical conditions.

The sequences MSRV-2A (SEQ ID No10) and MSRV-2B (SEQ ID NO11) are manifestly homologous, or even identical, derived from the same organism and sufficiently divergent from the retroviral sequences already described in the data banks for it to be suggested that the sequence region in question belongs to a new infective agent, designated MSRV-2. This infective agent would be, in principle, on the basis of the analysis of the first sequences obtained, related to a retrovirus but, in view of the technique used for obtaining this sequence, it could also be a DNA virus whose genome codes for an enzyme which incidentally possesses reverse transcriptase activity, as is the case, for example, with the hepatitis B virus, HBV (33). Furthermore, the random nature of the degenerate primers used for this PCR amplification technique may very well have permitted, as a result of unforeseen sequence homologies or of conserved sites in the gene for a related enzyme, the amplification of a nucleic acid originating from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic pathogenic and/or coinfective agent (protist).

EXAMPLE 3 OBTAINING CLONES DESIGNATED MSRV-1B AND MSRV-2B, DEFINING A FAMILY MSRV-1 and MSRV2, BY "NESTED" PCR AMPLIFICATION OF THE CONSERVED POL REGIONS OF RETROVIRUSES ON PREPARATIONS OF B LYMPHOCYTES FROM A NEW CASE OF MS

The same PCR technique, modified according to the technique of Shih (33), was used to amplify and sequence the RNA nucleic acid material present in a purified fraction of virions at the peak of "LM7-like" reverse transcriptase activity on a sucrose gradient according to the technique described by H. Perron (34), and according to the protocols mentioned in Example 2, from a spontaneous lymphoblastoid line obtained by self-immortalization in culture of B lymphocytes from an MS patient who was seropositive for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), after setting up the blood lymphoid cells in culture in a suitable culture medium containing a suitable concentration of cyclosporin A. A representation of the reverse transcriptase activity in the sucrose fractions taken from a purification gradient of the virions produced by this line is presented in FIG. 6. Similarly, the culture supernatants of a B line obtained under the same conditions from a control free from multiple sclerosis were treated under the same conditions, and the assay of reverse transcriptase activity in the sucrose gradient fractions proved negative throughout (background) , and is presented in FIG. 7. Fraction 3 of the gradient corresponding to the MS B line and the same fraction without reverse transcriptase activity of the non-MS control gradient were analyzed by the same RT-PCR technique as before, derived from Shih (33), followed by the same steps of cloning and sequencing as described in Examples 1 and 2.

It is particularly noteworthy that the MSRV-1 and MSRV-2 type sequences are to be found only in the material associated with a peak of "LM7-like" reverse transcriptase activity originating from the MS B lymphoblastoid line. These sequences were not to be found with the material from the control (non-MS) B lymphoblastoid line in 26 recombinant clones taken at random. Only Mo-MuLV type contaminant sequences, originating from the commercial reverse transcriptase used for the CDNA synthesis step, and sequences without any particular retroviral analogy were to be found in this control, as a result of the "consensus" amplification of homologous polymerase sequences which is produced by this PCR technique. Furthermore, the absence of a concentrated target which competes for the amplification reaction in the control sample permits the amplification of dilute contaminants. The difference in results is manifestly highly significant (chi-squared, p<0.001).

EXAMPLE 4 OBTAINING A CLONE PSJ17, DEFINING A RETROVIRUS MSRV-1, BY REACTION OF ENDOGENOUS REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE WITH A VIRION PREPARATION ORIGINATING FROM THE PLI-2 LINE.

This approach is directed towards obtaining reverse-transcribed DNA sequences from the supposedly retroviral RNA in the isolate using the reverse transcriptase activity present in this same isolate. This reverse transcriptase activity can theoretically function only in the presence of a retroviral RNA linked to a primer tRNA or hybridized with short strands of DNA already reverse-transcribed in the retroviral particles (39). Thus, the obtaining of specific retroviral sequences in a material contaminated with cellular nucleic acids was optimized according to these authors by means of the specific enzymatic amplification of the portions of viral RNAs with a viral reverse transcriptase activity. To this end, the authors determined the particular physicochemical conditions under which this enzymatic activity of reverse transcription on RNAs contained in virions could be effective in vitro. These conditions correspond to the technical description of the protocols presented below (endogenous RT reaction, purification, cloning and sequencing).

The molecular approach consisted in using a preparation of concentrated but unpurified virion obtained from the culture supernatants of the PLI-2 line, prepared according to the following method: the culture supernatants are collected twice weekly, precentrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 30 minutes to remove cell debris and then frozen at -80° C. or used as they are for the following steps. The fresh or thawed supernatants are centrifuged on a cushion of 30% glycerol-PBS at 100,000 g (or 30,000 rpm in a type 45 T LKB-HITACHI rotor) for 2 h at 4° C. After removal of the supernatant, the sedimented pellet is taken up in a small volume of PBS and constitutes the fraction of concentrated but unpurified virion. This concentrated but unpurified viral sample was used to perform a so-called endogenous reverse transcription reaction as will now be described: a volume of 200 μl of virion purified according to the protocol described above, and containing a reverse transcriptase activity of approximately 1-5 million dpm, is thawed at 37° C. until a liquid phase appears, and then placed on ice. A 5-fold concentrated buffer was prepared with the following components: 500 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.2; 75 mM NaCl; 25 mM MgCl₂ ; 75 mM DTT and 0.10% NP 40. 100 μl of 5×buffer+25 μl of a 100 mM solution of dATP+25 μl of a 100 mM solution of dTTP+25 μl of a 100 mM solution of dGTP+25 μl of a 100 mM solution of dCTP+100 μl of sterile distilled water+200 μl of the virion suspension (RT activity of 5 million DPM) in PBS were mixed and incubated at 42° C. for 3 hours. After this incubation, the reaction mixture is added directly to a buffered phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol mixture (Sigma ref. P 3803); the aqueous phase is collected and one volume of sterile distilled water is added to the organic phase to re-extract the residual nucleic acid material. The collected aqueous phases are combined, and the nucleic acids contained are precipitated by adding 3M sodium acetate pH 5.2 to 1/10 volume+2 volumes of ethanol+1 μl of glycogen (Boehringer-Mannheim ref. 901 393) and placing the sample at -20° C. for 4 h or overnight at +4° C. The precipitate obtained after centrifugation is then washed with 70% ethanol and resuspended in 60 ml of distilled water. The products of this reaction were then purified, cloned and sequenced according to the protocol which will now be described: blunt-ended DNAs with unpaired adenines at the ends were generated: a "filling-in" reaction was first performed: 25 μl of the previously purified DNA solution were mixed with 2 μl of a 2.5 mM solution containing, in equimolar amounts, dATP+dGTP+dTTP+dCTP/1 μl of T4 DNA polymerase (Boehringer-Mannheim ref. 1004 786)/5 μl of 10×"incubation buffer for restriction enzyme" (Boehringer-Mannheim ref. 1417 975)/1 μl of a 1% bovine serum albumin solution/16 μl of sterile distilled water. This mixture was incubated for 20 minutes at 11° C. 50 μl of TE buffer and 1 μl of glycogen (Boehringer-Mannheim ref. 901 393) were added thereto before extraction of the nucleic acids with phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol (Sigma ref. P 3803) and precipitation with sodium acetate as described above. The DNA precipitated after centrifugation is resuspended in 10 μl of 10 mM Tris buffer pH 7.5. 5 μl of this suspension were then mixed with 20 μl of 5×Taq buffer, 20 μl of 5 mM dATP, 1 μl (5U) of Taq DNA polymerase (Amplitaq™) and 54 μl of sterile distilled water. This mixture is incubated for 2 h at 75° C. with a film of oil on the surface of the solution. The DNA suspended in the aqueous solution drawn off under the film of oil after incubation is precipitated as described above and resuspended in 2 μl of sterile distilled water. The DNA obtained was inserted into a plasmid using the TA cloning kit™. The 2 μl of DNA solution were mixed with 5 μl of sterile distilled water, 1 μl of a 10-fold concentrated ligation buffer "10×LIGATION BUFFER", 2 μl of "pCR™ VECTOR" (25 ng/ml) and 1 μl of "TA DNA LIGASE". This mixture was incubated overnight at 12° C. The following steps were carried out according to the instructions of the TA Cloning® kit (British Biotechnology) . At the end of the procedure, the white colonies of recombinant (white) bacteria were picked out in order to be cultured and to permit extraction of the plasmids incorporated according to the so-called "miniprep" procedure (36). The plasmid preparation from each recombinant colony was cut with a suitable restriction enzyme and analyzed on agarose gel. Plasmids possessing an insert detected under UV light after staining the gel with ethidium bromide were selected for sequencing of the insert, after hybridization with a primer complementary to the Sp6 promoter present on the cloning plasmid of the TA cloning Kit®. The reaction prior to sequencing was then performed according to the method recommended for the use of the sequencing kit "Prism ready reaction kit dye deoxyterminator cycle sequencing kit" (Applied Biosystems, ref. 401384), and automatic sequencing was carried out with an Applied Biosystems "model 373 A Automatic Sequencer" apparatus according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Discriminating analysis on the computerized data banks of the sequences cloned from the DNA fragments present in the reaction mixture enabled a retroviral type sequence to be revealed. The corresponding clone PSJ17 was completely sequenced, and the sequence obtained, presented in FIG. 8 and identified by SEQ ID NO9, was analyzed using the "Geneworks®" software on the updated "Genebank®" data banks. An identical sequence already described could not be found by analysis of the data banks. Only a partial homology with some known retroviral elements was to be found. The most useful relative homology relates to an endogenous retrovirus designated ERV-9, or HSERV-9, depending on the references (40).

EXAMPLE 5 PCR AMPLIFICATION OF THE NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCE CONTAINED BETWEEN THE 5' REGION DEFINED BY THE CLONE "POL MSRV-1B" AND THE 3' REGION DEFINED BY THE CLONE PSJ17.

Five oligonucleotides, M001, M002-A, M003-BCD, P004 and P005, were defined in order to amplify the RNA originating from purified POL-2 virions. Control reactions were performed so as to check for the presence of contaminants (reaction with water) . The amplification consists of an RT-PCR step according to the protocol described in Example 2, followed by a "nested" PCR according to the PCR protocol described in the document EP-A-0569272. In the first RT-PCR cycle, the primers M001 and P004 or P005 are used. In the second PCR cycle, the primers M002-A or M003-BCD and the primer P004 are used. The primers are positioned as follows: ##STR1##

Their composition is:

primer M001: GGTCITICCICAIGG (SEQ ID NO20)

primer M002-A: TTAGGGATAGCCCTCATCTCT (SEQ ID NO21)

primer M003-BCD: TCAGGGATAGCCCCCATCTAT (SEQ ID NO22)

primer P004: AACCCTTTGCCACTACATCAATTT (SEQ ID NO23)

primer P005: GCGTAAGGACTCCTAGAGCTATT (SEQ ID NO24)

The "nested" amplification product obtained, and designated M003-P004, is presented in FIG. 9, and corresponds to the sequence SEQ ID NO8.

EXAMPLE 6 AMPLIFICATION AND CLONING OF A PORTION OF THE MSRV-1 RETROVIRAL GENOME USING A SEQUENCE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, IN A SAMPLE OF VIRUS PURIFIED AT THE PEAK OF REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE ACTIVITY

A PCR technique derived from the technique published by Frohman (41) was used. The technique derived makes it possible, using a specific primer at the 3' end of the genome to be amplified, to elongate the sequence towards the 5' region of the genome to be analyzed. This technical variant is described in the documentation of the firm "Clontech Laboratories Inc., (Palo-Alto, Calif. USA) supplied with its product "5' AmpliFINDER™ RACE Kit", which was used on a virion fraction purified as described above.

The specific 3' primers used in the kit protocol for the synthesis of the cDNA and the PCR amplification are, respectively, complementary to the following MSRV-1 sequences:

cDNA:TCATCCATGTACCGAAGG (SEQ ID NO25)

amplification :ATGGGGTTCCCAAGTTCCCT (SEQ ID NO26)

The products originating from the PCR were purified after purification on agarose gel according to conventional methods (36), and then resuspended in 10 ml of distilled water. Since one of the properties of Taq polymerase consists in adding an adenine at the 3' end of each of the two DNA strands, the DNA obtained was inserted directly into a plasmid using the TA Cloning kit™ (British Biotechnology) . The 2 μl of DNA solution were mixed with 5 μl of sterile distilled water, 1 μl of a 10-fold concentrated ligation buffer "10×LIGATION BUFFER", 2 μl of "pCR™ VECTOR" (25 ng/ml) and 1 μl of "TA DNA LIGASE". This mixture was incubated overnight at 12° C. The following steps were carried out according to the instructions of the TA Cloning® kit (British Biotechnology) . At the end of the procedure, the white colonies of recombinant (white) bacteria were picked out in order to be cultured and to permit extraction of the plasmids incorporated according to the so-called "mini-prep" procedure (36). The plasmid preparation from each recombinant colony was cut with a suitable restriction enzyme and analyzed on agarose gel. Plasmids possessing an insert detected under UV light after staining the gel with ethidium bromide were selected for sequencing of the insert, after hybridization with a primer complementary to the Sp6 promoter present on the cloning plasmid of the TA Cloning Kit®. The reaction prior to sequencing was then performed according to the method recommended for the use of the sequencing kit "Prism ready reaction kit dye deoxyterminator cycle sequencing kit" (Applied Biosystems, ref. 401384), and automatic sequencing was carried out with an Applied Biosystems "model 373 A automatic sequencer" apparatus according to the manufacturer's instructions.

This technique was applied first to two fractions of virion purified as described below on sucrose from the "POL-2" isolate produced by the PLI-2 line on the one hand, and from the MS7PG isolate produced by the LM7PC line on the other hand: the culture supernatants are collected twice weekly, precentrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 30 minutes to remove cell debris and then frozen at -80° C. or used as they are for the following steps. The fresh or thawed supernatants are centrifuged on a cushion of 30% glycerol-PBS at 100,000 g (or 30,000 rpm in a type 45 T LKB-HITACHI rotor) for 2 h at 4° C. After removal of the supernatant, the sedimented pellet is taken up in a small volume of PBS and constitutes the fraction of concentrated but unpurified virions. The concentrated virus is then applied to a sucrose gradient in sterile PBS buffer (15 to 50% weight/weight) and ultracentrifuged at 35,000 rpm (100,000 g) for 12 h at +4° C. in a swing-out rotor. 10 fractions are collected, and 20 μl are withdrawn from each fraction after homogenization to assay the reverse transcriptase activity therein according to the technique described by H. Perron (24). The fractions containing the peak of "LM7-like" RT activity are then diluted in sterile PBS buffer and ultracentrifuged for one hour at 35,000 rpm (100,000 g) to sediment the viral particles. The pellet of purified virion thereby obtained is then taken up in a small volume of a buffer which is appropriate for the extraction of RNA. The cDNA synthesis reaction mentioned above is carried out on this RNA extracted from purified extracellular virion. PCR amplification according to the technique mentioned above enabled the clone F1-11 to be obtained, whose sequence, identified by SEQ ID NO2, is presented in FIG. 10.

This clone makes it possible to define, with the different clones previously sequenced, a region representative of the "pol" gene of the MSRV-1 retrovirus, as presented in FIG. 11. This sequence, designated SEQ ID NO1, is reconstituted from different clones overlapping one another at their ends, correcting the artifacts associated with the primers and with the amplification or cloning techniques which would artificially interrupt the reading frame of the whole.

In FIG. 11, the potential reading frame with its translation into amino acids is presented below the nucleic acid sequence.

EXAMPLE 7 CAPTURE, AMPLIFICATION AND CLONING OF A PORTION OF THE MSRV-2 GENOME USING A SEQUENCE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, IN A CULTURE INFECTED WITH MSRV-2

The supernatants of a cell culture expressing "LM7-like" reverse transcriptase activity similar to that described by H. Perron (24) were collected regularly over several weeks and stored frozen at -80° C. after adding 10% of glycerol. The set of supernatants was then thawed so as to concentrate the infective particles by ultra-centrifugation and to purify them by centrifugation to equilibrium on a sucrose gradient; the reverse transcriptase activity was then measured in the different fractions collected on the gradient according to the methodology described by H. Perron (34).

The different fractions representing the peak of reverse transcriptase activity were pooled so as to extract the nucleic acids therefrom according to a protocol intended for the purification of RNA (35), but the nucleic acids extracted were not treated with DNase. A PCR amplification derived from the technique described by Shih (33) was performed directly on this nucleic acid sample not treated with DNase, according to an RNA amplification method as described in the document EP-A-0,569,272, in a total volume of 100 μl containing 200 ng of RNA, 1 μl of RNA Guard and 33 μmol of each mixture of primers (MOP) which are described by Shih (33) and identical to those used for the direct (DNA) PCR; 0.25 mM each dNTP, 10 μl of 10×buffer, 2.5 u of Taq enzyme and 0.4 μl of RT enzyme (RT-AMV; 10 u) are also added to the samples. The amplification cycles are carried out as follows: denaturation of the RNA 65° C./10 minutes, synthesis of the cDNA 50° C./8 minutes, then the cycles are identical to those of the PCR described by Shih (33). Control reactions were performed so as to check for the absence of contaminants (reaction with water). The products were analyzed on 10% acrylamide gel.

The samples amplified by RT-PCR were then cloned and sequenced according to the techniques described in Example 1.

The majority of the clones sequenced from the RT-PCR product corresponds to the MSRV-2A sequence and its equivalent MSRV-2B described above in Examples 1 to 3.

Moreover, after removal of the artefactual sequences, the other clones sequenced prove to correspond to MSRV-1 type sequences as are described in Examples 1 to 3.

After verification of the sequences present in this nucleic acid material originating from these purified fractions containing infective particles, at least a part of which is associated with reverse transcriptase activity, the remaining nucleic acid material was used to perform a specific capture of nucleic acids carrying the MSRV2 sequence previously identified and described in Examples 1 to 3.

In a prior step, the genetic material carrying the MSRV2 sequence was amplified by a one-directional PCR technique of 50 cycles using a single primer. This primer is coupled to a biotin molecule at its 3' end, permits one-directional amplification from 3' to 5' and corresponds to the following sequence identified under SEQ ID NO38:

5' TAAAGATCTAGAATTCGGCTATAGGCGGCATCCGGCAACT 3'

Thereafter, capture was performed in solution with magnetic beads coupled to avidin (Dynabeads®) according to the instructions of the manufacturer (Dynal) and, after a series of washes at room temperature enabling nucleic acids not coupled to a biotin to be removed, a PCR was performed directly on these washed beads with a specific primer at the 3' end and a primer at the 5' end provided by a solution of oligonucleotide of 10 bases (10-mer) with a random sequence.

The specific amplification primer oriented from 3' to 5' corresponds to the sequence identified by SEQ ID NO13:

5' GCATCCGGCAACTGCACG 3'

The PCR performed at 35° C. over 40 cycles with these primers enabled the genetic material specifically biotinylated by the first PCR step and captured on the Dynabeads® beads to be amplified. After cloning with the "TA cloning" kit of the DNA amplified by this second PCR step and sequencing of the recombinant clones, according to the techniques described in Example 1, a sequence of 748 base pairs was obtained. This nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO12 is presented in FIG. 12. This elongated sequence will be designated hereafter MSRV-2EL1.

The reverse sequence complementary to the primer SEQ ID NO13 is present at the 3' end and is boxed in FIG. 12. Upstream of this primer, the sequence already identified in the MSRV-2A and MSRV-2B clones is to be found.

The translation of this sequence into amino acids according to the 6 possible reading frames is presented in FIG. 13.

An alignment of the MSRV2-A sequence (SEQ ID No10) with the MSRV-2EL1 sequence (SEQ ID NO12) is presented in FIG. 14. It will be noted that the MSRV-2A sequence is strictly identical to the elongated sequence, apart from a few differences in the region corresponding to the degenerate primers used for obtaining MSRV-2A. This region is underlined in this figure; moreover, the hybridization region of the primer SEQ ID NO13 (apart from the cloning tail) is boxed, that of the primer SEQ ID NO14 is presented between square brackets. The true sequence of the MSRV-2 genome in this region is probably that of MSRV-2EL1, where it has not been imposed by hybridized primers having low stringency as is the case for MSRV-2A (and MSRV-2B likewise).

The MSRV-2EL1 sequence hence corresponds to a new sequenced region of the MSRV-2 genome. This was verified using new PCR primers defined in MSRV-2EL1 and MSRV-2A, which permitted a specific amplification on the nucleic acids used for the cloning described in this example.

The examples which follow present different results of specific MSRV2 amplifications which confirm the relationship with the presence of corresponding infective agent in the cell cultures described, to permit the isolation of an LM7 type virus (24), and also, in vivo, in patients suffering from MS.

The result of interrogation of the Genebank® data bank, updated in August 1994, with the MSRV-2EL1 sequence does not show any significant homology with genetic sequences known to date. However, the interrogation of the possible translations into amino acids according to the 6 potential reading frames of this MSRV-2EL1 sequence shows partial homologies with bacterial, viral or cellular sequences.

The absence of PCR amplification with specific primers on normal human DNA shows that the sequence in question is not one of cellular origin. MSRV-2 is hence an infective agent exogenous to man. However, the degenerate nature of the mixtures of primers used according to variants of the technique described by Shih (33), which enabled the first sequence elements designated MSRV-2A and MSRV-2B to be identified, may have permitted the unforeseen amplification of a genome not belonging to a retrovirus, or even to a gene coding for an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. The almost invariable co-detection of MSRV-1 in cultures originating from MS and expressing reverse transcriptase activity may be explained by a pathological association between two different agents, at least one of which is a retrovirus (MSRV-1).

The detection in patients of these two types of sequence described in the examples which follow corroborates a pathological association. However, only one of these elements may suffice to explain the pathology induced in MS.

EXAMPLE 8 DETECTION OF SPECIFIC MSRV-2 SEQUENCES IN DIFFERENT SAMPLES OF HUMAN CELLS ORIGINATING FROM PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MS OR FROM CONTROLS

The MSRV-2EL1 sequence (SEQ ID NO12) enabled several pairs of oligonucleotide primers which could be used for the amplification of specific DNA or RNA by the PCR technique to be defined.

The primers defined below enabled a specific detection of the MSRV-2 genome in different human cells to be carried out by an RT-PCR step according to an RNA amplification method as described in the document EP-A-0,569,272.

The primers used are the following:

5' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO14

5' GTAGTTCGATGTAGAAAGCG 3'

3' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO15

5' GCATCCGGCAACTGCACG 3'

The PCR is performed according to a succession of 35 cycles linking together, after the cDNA synthesis step, 1 min at 94° C., 1 min at 54° C. and 1 min at 72° C.

The total RNA extracted from different cell types (35), without DNase treatment, was used in this RT-PCR reaction.

FIG. 15 presents the results of PCR using a photograph under ultraviolet light of an ethidium bromide-impregnated agarose gel, in which an electrophoresis of PCR amplification products applied separately to the different wells was performed.

Well number 1 contains a mixture of DNA molecular weight markers, and wells 2 to 9 represent, in order, the products amplified from the total RNAs of the following cells:

2--LM7PC (ECACC No. 93010817);

3--PLI2 (ECACC No. 92072201);

4--human medulloblastoma cells;

5--MRC-5 (human embryonic lung fibroblasts);

6--human blood mononuclear cells from a healthy donor;

7--cells originating from a mixture of B lymphoblastoid lines derived from the peripheral blood of different patients suffering from MS;

8--cells originating from a B lymphoblastoid line derived from the peripheral blood of a patient suffering from MS;

9--control not containing nucleic acids ("water" control).

The existence of a band of specific DNA of approximately 700 base pairs, corresponding to the expected size, which is amplified in the samples originating from patients suffering from MS (LM7PC, PLI2, B lymphocyte lines) and not in the cells tested originating from controls not suffering from MS (MRC5, blood mononuclear cells and medulloblastoma cells), can be seen.

EXAMPLE 9 DETECTION OF SPECIFIC MSRV-1 and MSRV-2 SEQUENCES IN DIFFERENT SAMPLES OF PLASMA ORIGINATING FROM PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MS OR FROM CONTROLS.

A PCR technique similar to the one described in Example 8 was used to detect the MSRV-1 and MSRV-2 genomes in plasmas obtained after taking blood samples from patients suffering from MS and from non-MS controls onto EDTA.

Extraction of the RNAs from plasma was performed according to a technique described by P. Chomzynski (35), after adding one volume of buffer containing guanidinium thiocyanate to 1 ml of plasma stored frozen at -80° C. after collection.

For MSRV-2, the PCR was performed under the same conditions and with the same primers as those described in Example 8.

However, similar results were also obtained with the following PCR primers in two successive amplifications by "nested" PCR on samples of nucleic acids not treated with DNase.

The primers used for this first step of 40 cycles with a hybridization temperature of 48° C. are the following:

5' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO27

5' GCCGATATCACCCGCCATGG 3', corresponding to a 5' MSRV-2 PCR primer, for a first PCR on patients' sample,

3' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO28

5' GCATCCGGCAACTGCACG 3', corresponding to a 3' MSRV-2 PCR primer, for a first PCR on patients' sample

After this step, 10 μl of the amplification product are taken and used to carry out a second, so-called "nested" PCR amplification with primers located within the region already amplified. This second step takes place over 35 cycles, with a primer hybridization ("annealing") temperature of 50° C. The reaction volume is 100 μl.

The primers used for this second step are the following:

5' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO29

5' CGCGATGCTGGTTGGAGAGC 3', corresponding to a 5' MSRV-2 PCR primer, for a nested PCR on patients' sample,

3' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO30

5' TCTCCACTCCGAATATTCCG 3', corresponding to a 3' MSRV-2 PCR primer, for a nested PCR on patients' sample.

For MSRV-1, the amplification was performed in two steps. Furthermore, the nucleic acid sample is treated beforehand with DNase, and a control PCR without RT (AMV reverse transcriptase) is performed on the two amplification steps so as to verify that the RT-PCR amplification comes exclusively from the MSRV-1 RNA. In the event of a positive control without RT, the initial aliquot sample of RNA is again treated with DNase and amplified again.

The protocol for treatment with DNase lacking RNAse activity is as follows: the extracted RNA is aliquoted in the presence of "RNAse inhibitor" (Boehringer-Mannheim) in water treated with DEPC at a final concentration of 1 μg in 10 μl; to these 10 μl, 1 μl of "RNAse-free DNAse" (Boehringer-Mannheim) and 1.2 μl of pH 5 buffer containing 0.1 M sodium acetate and 5 mgSO₄ are added; the mixture is incubated for 15 min at 20° C. and brought to 95° C. for 1.5 min in a "thermocycler".

The first MSRV-1 RT-PCR step is performed according to a variant of the RNA amplification method as described in Patent Application No. EP 0,569,272 A1. In particular, the cDNA synthesis step is performed at 42° C. for one hour; the PCR amplification takes place over 40 cycles, with a primer hybridization ("annealing") temperature of 53° C. The reaction volume is 100 μl.

The primers used for this first step are the following:

5' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO16

5' AGGAGTAAGGAAACCCAACGGAC 3'

3' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO17

5' TAAGAGTTGCACAAGTGCG 3'

After this step, 10 il of the amplification product are taken and used to carry out a second, socalled "nested" PCR amplification with primers located within the region already amplified. This second step takes place over 35 cycles, with a primer hybridization ("annealing") temperature of 53° C. The reaction volume is 100 μl.

The primers used for this second step are the following:

5' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO18

5' TCAGGGATAGCCCCCATCTAT 3'

3' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO19

5' AACCCTTTGCCACTACATCAATTT 3'

FIG. 16 presents the results of PCR in the form of a photograph under ultraviolet light of an ethidium bromide-impregnated agarose gel, in which an electrophoresis of the PCR amplification products applied separately to the different wells was performed.

The photograph shows the result of specific MSRV-2 amplification:

well number 8 contains a mixture of DNA molecular weight markers, and wells 1 to 7 represent, in order, the products amplified from the total RNAs of plasmas originating from 4 healthy controls free from MS (wells 1 to 4) and from 3 patients suffering from MS at different stages of the disease (wells 5 to 7).

In this series, MSRV-2 nucleic acid material is detected in the plasma of one case of MS out of the 3 tested, and in none of the 4 control plasmas. Other results obtained on more extensive series confirm these results.

FIG. 17 shows the result of specific amplification by MSRV-1 "nested" RT-PCR:

well No. 1 contains the PCR product produced with water alone, without the addition of AMV reverse transcriptase; well No. 2 contains the PCR product produced with water alone, with addition of AMV reverse transcriptase; well number 3 contains a mixture of DNA molecular weight markers; wells 4 to 13 contain, in order, the products amplified from the total RNAs extracted from sucrose gradient fractions (collected in a downward direction), on which gradient a pellet of virion originating from a supernatant of a culture infected with MSRV-1 and MSRV-2 was centrifuged to equilibrium according to the protocol described by Perron (34); to well 14 nothing was applied; to wells 15 to 17, the amplified products of RNA extracted from plasmas originating from 3 different patients suffering from MS at different stages of the disease were applied.

The MSRV-1 retroviral genome is indeed to be found in the sucrose gradient fraction containing the peak of reverse transcriptase activity measured according to the technique described by H. Perron (24), with a very strong intensity (fraction 5 of the gradient, deposited in well No. 8). A slight amplification has taken place in the first fraction (well No. 4), probably corresponding to RNA released by lysed particles which floated at the surface of the gradient; similarly, aggregated debris sedimented in the last fraction (tube bottom), carrying with it a few copies of the MSRV-1 genome which have given rise to an amplification of low intensity.

Of the 3 MS plasmas tested in this series, MSRV-1 RNA turned up in one case, producing a very intense amplification (well No. 17).

In this series, the MSRV-1 retroviral RNA genome, probably corresponding to particles of extracellular virus present in the plasma in extremely small numbers, was detected by "nested" RT-PCR in one case of MS out of the 3 tested. Other results obtained on more extensive series confirm these results.

Furthermore, the specificity of the sequences amplified by these PCR techniques may be verified and evaluated by the "ELOSA" technique as described by F. Mallet (42) and in the document FR-2,663,040.

For MSRV-1, the products of the nested PCR described above may be tested in two ELOSA systems enabling a consensus A and a consensus B+C+D of MSRV-1 to be detected separately, corresponding to the subfamilies described in Example 2 and FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. In effect, the sequences closely resembling the consensus B+C+D are to be found essentially in the RNA samples originating from MSRV-1 virions purified from cultures or amplified in extracellular biological fluids of MS patients, whereas the sequences closely resembling the consensus A are essentially to be found in normal human cellular DNA.

The ELOSA/MSRV-1 system for the capture and specific hybridization of the PCR products of the subfamily A uses a capture oligonucleotide cpV1A with an amine bond at the 5' end and a biotinylated detection oligonucleotide dpV1A having as their sequence, respectively:

cpV1A identified by SEQ ID NO31

5' GATCTAGGCCACTTCTCAGGTCCAGS 3', corresponding to the ELOSA capture oligonucleotide for the products of MSRV-1 nested PCR performed with the primers identified by SEQ ID NO16 and SEQ ID NO17, optionally followed by amplification with the primers identified by SEQ ID NO18 and SEQ ID NO19 on samples from patients.

dpV1A identified by SEQ ID NO32

5' CATCTITTTGGICAGGCAITAGC 3' corresponding to the ELOSA detection oligonucleotide for the subfamily A of the products of MSRV-1 nested PCR performed with the primers identified by SEQ ID NO16 and SEQ ID NO17, optionally followed by amplification with the primers identified by SEQ ID NO18 and SEQ ID NO19 on samples from patients.

The ELOSA/MSRV-1 system for the capture and specific hybridization of the PCR products of the subfamily B+C+D uses the same biotinylated detection oligonucleotide dpV1A and a capture oligonucleotide cpV1B with an amine bond at the 5' end having as its sequence:

dpV1B identified by SEQ ID NO33

5' CTTGAGCCAGTTCTCATACCTGGA 3', corresponding to the ELOSA capture oligonucleotide for the subfamily B+C+D of the products of MSRV-1 nested PCR performed with the primers identified by SEQ ID NO16 and SEQ ID NO17, optionally followed by amplification with the primers identified by SEQ ID NO18 and SEQ ID NO19 on samples from patients.

This ELOSA detection system enabled it to be verified that none of the PCR products thus amplified from DNase-treated plasmas of MS patients contained a sequence of the subfamily A, and that all were positive with the consensus of the subfamilies B, C and D.

For MSRV-2, a similar ELOSA technique was evaluated on isolates originating from infected cell cultures, using the following PCR amplification primers,

5' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO34

5' AGTGYTRCCMCARGGCGCTGAA 3', corresponding to a 5' MSRV-2 PCR primer, for PCR on sample from cultures,

3' primer, identified by SEQ ID NO35

5' GMGGCCAGCAGSAKGTCATCCA 3', corresponding to a 31 MSRV-2 PCR primer, for PCR on sample from cultures,

and the capture oligonucleotides with an amine bond at the 5' end cpV2 and the biotinylated detection oligonucleotide dpV2 having as their respective sequences:

cpV2 identified by SEQ ID NO36

5' GGATGCCGCCTATAGCCTCTAC 3', corresponding to an ELOSA capture oligonucleotide for the products of MSRV-2 PCR performed with the primers SEQ ID NO34 and SEQ ID NO35, or optionally with the degenerate primers defined by Shih (33),

dpV2 identified by SEQ ID NO37

5' AAGCCTATCGCGTGCAGTTGCC 3', corresponding to an ELOSA detection oligonucleotide for the products of MSRV-2 PCR performed with the primers SEQ ID NO34 and SEQ ID NO35, or optionally with the degenerate primers defined by Shih (33)

This PCR amplification system with a pair of primers different from those which were described previously for amplification on the samples from patients made it possible to confirm the infection with MSRV-2 of in vitro cultures and of samples of nucleic acids used for the molecular biology studies.

All things considered, our first results of PCR detection of the genome of pathogenic and/or infective agents, it is possible that free "virus" may circulate in the blood stream of patients in an acute, virulent phase, outside the nervous system. This is compatible with the almost invariable presence of "gaps" in the blood-brain barrier of patients in an active phase of MS.

It is thus already conceivable, as a result of the discoveries made and the methods developed by the inventors, to carry out a diagnosis of MSRV-1 and/or MSRV-2 infection and/or reactivation and to evaluate a therapy in MS on the basis of its efficacy to "negative" the detection of these agents in the patients' biological fluids. Furthermore, early detection in individuals not yet displaying neurological signs of MS could make it possible to institute a treatment which would be all the more effective with respect to the subsequent clinical course for the fact that it would precede the lesion stage which corresponds to the onset of neurological disorders. Now, at the present time, a diagnosis of MS cannot be established before a symptomatology of neurological lesions has set in, and hence no treatment is instituted before the emergence of a clinical picture suggestive of lesions of the central nervous system which are already significant. The diagnosis of an MSRV-1 and/or MSRV-2 infection and/or reactivation in man is hence of decisive importance, and the present invention provided the means of doing this.

It is thus possible, apart from carrying out a diagnosis of MSRV-1 and MSRV-2 infection and/or reactivation, to evaluate a therapy in MS on the basis of its efficacy to "negative" the detection of these agents in the patients' biological fluids.

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    __________________________________________________________________________     #             SEQUENCE LISTING     - (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:     -    (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 38     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 1:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 1158 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #1:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - CCCTTTGCCA CTACATCAAT TTTAGGAGTA AGGAAACCCA ACGGACAGTG GA - #GGTTAGTG       60     - CAAGAACTCA GGATTATCAA TGAGGCTGTT GTTCCTCTAT ACCCAGCTGT AC - #CTAACCCT      120     - TATACAGTGC TTTCCCAAAT ACCAGAGGAA GCAGAGTGGT TTACAGTCCT GG - #ACCTTAAG      180     - GATGCCTTTT TCTGCATCCC TGTACGTCCT GACTCTCAAT TCTTGTTTGC CT - #TTGAAGAT      240     - CCTTTGAACC CAACGTCTCA ACTCACCTGG ACTGTTTTAC CCCAAGGGTT CA - #GGGATAGC      300     - CCCCATCTAT TTGGCCAGGC ATTAGCCCAA GACTTGAGTC AATTCTCATA CC - #TGGACACT      360     - CTTGTCCTTC AGTACATGGA TGATTTACTT TTAGTCGCCC GTTCAGAAAC CT - #TGTGCCAT      420     - CAAGCCACCC AAGAACTCTT AACTTTCCTC ACTACCTGTG GCTACAAGGT TT - #CCAAACCA      480     - AAGGCTCGGC TCTGCTCACA GGAGATTAGA TACTNAGGGC TAAAATTATC CA - #AAGGCACC      540     - AGGGCCCTCA GTGAGGAACG TATCCAGCCT ATACTGGCTT ATCCTCATCC CA - #AAACCCTA      600     - AAGCAACTAA GAGGGTTCCT TGGCATAACA GGTTTCTGCC GAAAACAGAT TC - #CCAGGTAC      660     - ASCCCAATAG CCAGACCATT ATATACACTA ATTANGGAAA CTCAGAAAGC CA - #ATACCTAT      720     - TTAGTAAGAT GGACACCTAC AGAAGTGGCT TTCCAGGCCC TAAAGAAGGC CC - #TAACCCAA      780     - GCCCCAGTGT TCAGCTTGCC AACAGGGCAA GATTTTTCTT TATATGCCAC AG - #AAAAAACA      840     - GGAATAGCTC TAGGAGTCCT TACGCAGGTC TCAGGGATGA GCTTGCAACC CG - #TGGTATAC      900     - CTGAGTAAGG AAATTGATGT AGTGGCAAAG GGTTGGCCTC ATNGTTTATG GG - #TAATGGNG      960     - GCAGTAGCAG TCTNAGTATC TGAAGCAGTT AAAATAATAC AGGGAAGAGA TC - #TTNCTGTG     1020     - TGGACATCTC ATGATGTGAA CGGCATACTC ACTGCTAAAG GAGACTTGTG GT - #TGTCAGAC     1080     - AACCATTTAC TTAANTATCA GGCTCTATTA CTTGAAGAGC CAGTGCTGNG AC - #TGCGCACT     1140     #1158              CC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 2:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 297 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #2:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - CCCTTTGCCA CTACATCAAT TTTAGGAGTA AGGAAACCCA ACGGACAGTG GA - #GGTTAGTG       60     - CAAGAACTCA GGATTATCAA TGAGGCTGTT GTTCCTCTAT ACCCAGCTGT AC - #CTAACCCT      120     - TATACAGTGC TTTCCCAAAT ACCAGAGGAA GCAGAGTGGT TTACAGTCCT GG - #ACCTTAAG      180     - GATGCCTTTT TCTGCATCCC TGTACGTCCT GACTCTCAAT TCTTGTTTGC CT - #TTGAAGAT      240     - CCTTTGAACC CAACGTCTCA ACTCACCTGG ACTGTTTTAC CCCAAGGGTT CA - #AGGGA      297     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 3:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 85 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #3:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - GTTTAGGGAT ANCCCTCATC TCTTTGGTCA GGTACTGGCC CAAGATCTAG GC - #CACTTCTC       60     #               85 TYCC TTCAG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 4:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 86 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #4:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - GTTCAGGGAT AGCCCCCATC TATTTGGCCA GGCACTAGCT CAATACTTGA GC - #CAGTTCTC       60     #              86  GTCC TTCGGT     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 5:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 85 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #5:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - GTTCARRGAT AGCCCCCATC TATTTGGCCW RGYATTAGCC CAAGACTTGA GY - #CAATTCTC       60     #               85 GTCC TTYRG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 6:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 85 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #6:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - GTTCAGGGAT AGCTCCCATC TATTTGGCCT GGCATTAACC CGAGACTTAA GC - #CAGTTCTY       60     #               85 GTCC TTTGG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 7:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 111 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #7:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - GTGTTGCCAC AGGGGTTTAR RGATANCYCY CATCTMTTTG GYCWRGYAYT RR - #CYCRAKAY       60     #            111YAKRYSY RGSNAYTCTB KYCCTTYRGT ACATGGATGA C     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 8:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 645 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #8:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - TCAGGGATAG CCCCCATCTA TTTGGCCAGG CATTAGCCCA AGACTTGAGT CA - #ATTCTCAT       60     - ACCTGGACAC TCTTGTCCTT CAGTACATGG ATGATTTACT TTTAGTCGCC CG - #TTCAGAAA      120     - CCTTGTGCCA TCAAGCCACC CAAGAACTCT TAACTTTCCT CACTACCTGT GG - #CTACAAGG      180     - TTTCCAAACC AAAGGCTCGG CTCTGCTCAC AGGAGATTAG ATACTNAGGG CT - #AAAATTAT      240     - CCAAAGGCAC CAGGGCCCTC AGTGAGGAAC GTATCCAGCC TATACTGGCT TA - #TCCTCATC      300     - CCAAAACCCT AAAGCAACTA AGAGGGTTCC TTGGCATAAC AGGTTTCTGC CG - #AAAACAGA      360     - TTCCCAGGTA CASCCCAATA GCCAGACCAT TATATACACT AATTANGGAA AC - #TCAGAAAG      420     - CCAATACCTA TTTAGTAAGA TGGACACCTA CAGAAGTGGC TTTCCAGGCC CT - #AAAGAAGG      480     - CCCTAACCCA AGCCCCAGTG TTCAGCTTGC CAACAGGGCA AGATTTTTCT TT - #ATATGCCA      540     - CAGAAAAAAC AGGAATAGCT CTAGGAGTCC TTACGCAGGT CTCAGGGATG AG - #CTTGCAAC      600     #                 645AG GAAATTGATG TAGTGGCAAA GGGTT     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 9:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 741 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #9:   (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - CAAGCCACCC AAGAACTCTT AAATTTCCTC ACTACCTGTG GCTACAAGGT TT - #CCAAACCA       60     - AAGGCTCAGC TCTGCTCACA GGAGATTAGA TACTTAGGGT TAAAATTATC CA - #AAGGCACC      120     - AGGGGCCTCA GTGAGGAACG TATCCAGCCT ATACTGGGTT ATCCTCATCC CA - #AAACCCTA      180     - AAGCAACTAA GAGGGTTCCT TAGCATGATC AGGTTTCTGC CGAAAACAAG AT - #TCCCAGGT      240     - ACAACCAAAA TAGCCAGACC ATTATATACA CTAATTAAGG AAACTCAGAA AG - #CCAATACC      300     - TATTTAGTAA GATGGACACC TAAACAGAAG GCTTTCCAGG CCCTAAAGAA GG - #CCCTAACC      360     - CAAGCCCCAG TGTTCAGCTT GCCAACAGGG CAAGATTTTT CTTTATATGG CA - #CAGAAAAA      420     - ACAGGAATCG CTCTAGGAGT CCTTACACAG GTCCGAGGGA TGAGCTTGCA AC - #CCGTGGCA      480     - TACCTGAATA AGGAAATTGA TGTAGTGGCA AAGGGTTGGC CTCATNGTTT AT - #GGGTAATG      540     - GNGGCAGTAG CAGTCTNAGT ATCTGAAGCA GTTAAAATAA TACAGGGAAG AG - #ATCTTNCT      600     - GTGTGGACAT CTCATGATGT GAACGGCATA CTCACTGCTA AAGGAGACTT GT - #GGTTGTCA      660     - GACAACCATT TACTTAANTA TCAGGCTCTA TTACTTGAAG AGCCAGTGCT GN - #GACTGCGC      720     #                 741CC C     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 10:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 93 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #10:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - TGGAAAGTGT TGCCACAGGG CGCTGAAGCC TATCGCGTGC AGTTGCCGGA TG - #CCGCCTAT       60     #         93       ACAT CCTGCTGGCC TCC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 11:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 96 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #11:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - TTGGATCCAG TGYTGCCACA GGGCGCTGAA GCCTATCGCG TGCAGTTGCC GG - #ATGCCGCC       60     #       96         ATGA CCTSCTGAAG CTTGAG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 12:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 748 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #12:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     - TGCAAGCTTC ACCGCTTGCT GGATGTAGGC CTCAGTACCG GNGTGCCCCG CG - #CGCTGTAG       60     - TTCGATGTAG AAAGCGCCCG GAAACACGCG GGACCAATGC GTCGCCAGCT TG - #CGCGCCAG      120     - CGCCTCGTTG CCATTGGCCA GCGCCACGCC GATATCACCC GCCATGGCGC CG - #GAGAGCGC      180     - CAGCAGACCG GCGGCCAGCG GCGCATTCTC AACGCCGGGC TCGTCGAACC AT - #TCGGGGGC      240     - GATTTCCGCA CGACCGCGAT GCTGGTTGGA GAGCCAGGCC CTGGCCAGCA AC - #TGGCACAG      300     - GTTCAGGTAA CCCTGCTTGT CCCGCACCAA CAGCAGCAGG CGGGTCGGCT TG - #TCGCGCTC      360     - GTCGTGATTG GTGATCCACA CGTCAGCCCC GACGATGGGC TTCACGCCCT TG - #CCACGCGC      420     - TTCCTTGTAG ANGCGCACCA GCCCGAAGGC ATTGGCGAGA TCGGTCAGCG CC - #AAGGCGCC      480     - CATGCCATCT TTGGCGGCAG CCTTGACGGC ATCGTCGAGA CGGACATTGC CA - #TCGACGAC      540     - GGAATATTCG GAGTGGAGAC GGAGGTGGAC GAAGCGCGGC GAATTCATCC GC - #GTATTGTA      600     - ACGGGTGACA CCTTCCGCAA AGCATTCCGG ACGTGCCCGA TTGACCCGGA GC - #AACCCCGC      660     - ACGGCTGCGC GGGCAGTTAT AATTTCGGCT TACGAATCAA CGGGTTACCC CA - #GGGCGCTG      720     #            748   GTTG CCGGATGC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 13:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 18 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #13:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #  18              CG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 14:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 20 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #14:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     # 20               AGCG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 15:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 18 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #15:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #  18              CG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 16:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 23 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #16:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                23AACG GAC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 17:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 19 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #17:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     # 19               GCG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 18:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 21 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #18:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #21                TCTA T     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 19:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 24 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #19:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                24ATCA ATTT     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 20:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 15 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     -     (ix) FEATURE:     #10, 13   (B) LOCATION: 5, 7,     #G represents inosine (i)MATION:     #20:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #    15     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 21:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 21 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #21:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #21                TCTC T     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 22:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 21 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #22:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #21                TCTA T     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 23:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 24 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #23:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                24ATCA ATTT     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 24:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 23 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #24:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                23AGCT ATT     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 25:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 18 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #25:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #  18              GG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 26:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 20 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #26:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     # 20               CCCT     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 27:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 20 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #27:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     # 20               ATGG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 28:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 18 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #28:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #  18              CG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 29:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 20 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #29:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     # 20               GAGC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 30:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 20 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #30:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     # 20               TCCG     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 31:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 26 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #31:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #              26  CAGG TCCAGS     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 32:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 23 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     -     (ix) FEATURE:     #19       (B) LOCATION: 6, 12,     #G represents inosine (i)MATION:     #32:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                23CAGT AGC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 33:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 24 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #33:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                24TACC TGGA     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 34:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 22 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #34:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                 22CTG AA     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 35:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 22 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #35:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                 22ATC CA     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 36:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 22 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #36:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                 22TCT AC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 37:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 22 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #37:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #                 22TTG CC     - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 38:     -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:               (A) LENGTH: 40 bases               (B) TYPE: nucleotide               (C) STRANDEDNESS: single-s - #tranded               (D) TOPOLOGY: linear     -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA     #38:  (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:     #    40            GGCT ATAGGCGGCA TCCGGCAAGT     __________________________________________________________________________ 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated or synthetic nucleotide fragment comprising a first nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting ofSEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:12 comprising at least 100 contiguous monomers of SEQ ID NO:12, and a complementary sequence complementary to one of said SEQ ID NO:10 through SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:27 through SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:34 through SEQ ID NO:37 or said fragment of SEQ ID NO:12.
 2. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:10, or its complementary sequence.
 3. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:11, or its complementary sequence.
 4. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:12, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:12 comprising at least 100 contiguous monomers of SEQ ID NO:12 and a complementary sequence complementary to one of said SEQ ID NO:12 or said fragment of SEQ ID NO:12.
 5. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:13, or its complementary sequence.
 6. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:14, or its complementary sequence.
 7. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:15, or its complementary sequence.
 8. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:27, or its complementary sequence.
 9. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:28, or its complementary sequence.
 10. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:29, or its complementary sequence.
 11. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:30, or its complementary sequence.
 12. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:34, or its complementary sequence.
 13. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:35, or its complementary sequence.
 14. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:36, or its complementary sequence.
 15. The nucleotide fragment according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO:37, or its complementary sequence.
 16. A specific primer for amplification by polymerization of a nucleic acid of a pathogenic or infectious agent associated with multiple sclerosis, said primer comprising at least six contiguous monomers of the nucleotide sequence of the nucleotide fragment according to claim
 1. 17. The primer according to claim 16, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting ofSEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, and a complementary sequence complementary to one of said SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, or SEQ ID NO:37.
 18. A probe for specifically hybridizing with a nucleic acid of a pathogenic or infectious agent associated with multiple sclerosis, said probe comprising at least six contiguous monomers of the nucleotide sequence of the nucleotide fragment according to claim
 1. 19. The probe according to claim 18, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting ofSEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, and a complementary sequence complementary to one of said SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, or SEQ ID NO:37.
 20. A replication vector comprising the nucleotide fragment according to claim 1 and a promoter sequence.
 21. A diagnostic, composition comprising a nucleotide fragment according to claim
 1. 22. An isolated pathogenic or infectious agent associated with multiple sclerosis, said agent having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting ofSEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:12 comprising at least 100 contiguous monomers of SEQ ID NO:12, and a complementary sequence complementary to one of said SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12 or said fragment of SEQ ID NO:12.
 23. The agent according to claim 22, said agent having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting ofSEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, and a complementary sequence complementary to one of said SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:lI or SEQ ID NO:12. 